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getting your practice on the web

I know a lot of you are using the free websites available through AMTA and ABMP, or maybe you’re using Weebly, Wix, or WordPress. I’m really glad that you are taking advantage of internet marketing. After all, almost 80% of your potential client base is using the internet to find products and services.

There’s nothing wrong with being thrifty, either, although I’m still not a huge fan of the free AMTA and ABMP sites, but money doesn’t grow on trees and WordPress.com, Weebly or Wix with a custom domain is not a bad solution. Especially for those of you who get sweaty palms thinking about the technical, geeky stuff that comes with creating a website.

The DIY websites take care of the geeky stuff

like installation, setup, settings, and updates. That can help bypass a big source of stress for a lot of small business owners. We have enough stress in our lives, just trying to do bookkeeping, laundry, marketing, networking, newsletters, and all the other millions of tasks that come with running a massage practice.

Having something that takes one source of stress out of your day should be celebrated. If you don’t have a web designer that can help, then the DIY website providers are your best choice.

So you sign up for an account, pay the small extra fee for a custom domain (it’s worth the money, trust me), login in, pick a theme, click on “Add new page” to start work on creating your Home page.

And that’s when it hits you:

What exactly should you put on the Home page?

So you get up, make a cup of tea, grab a snack, and settle down in front of the computer. You still have no clue what to put on that home page, so you check out some of the massage therapists’ sites in town, and kind of copy what they do.

Now you just need to do the same for a few more pages and you’ll be done with that website.

You’re going to need a lot more tea.

I design a lot of website for massage therapists. I’ve even salvaged some sites after they got scammed by someone in the industry. I know what you’re up against. No one teaches this online marketing stuff in massage school. Ok, I do, and I know Allissa Haines over at Writing a Blue Streak does, but we’re definitely in the minority.

And this gets me back to the point of this blog post:

What is the problem with DIY websites?

When I talk to business owners who are trying to create their website content, I get the sense that they are just as lost as you are trying to figure out what to write on their website.

They have a blank sheet of paper, a lot of confusing articles and blog posts on what to put on their website, and an empty WordPress or Weebly site they have to fill up.

So, they delay a bit, walk around the office, make some tea, eat some snacks and finally resort to copy and pasting from other websites. And they hope that it works.

You just can’t get away with that anymore.

Website visitors have seen a lot of websites by now.

They can recognize a good website from a bad one and they really have little patience or interest in sticking around if it’s bad. And don’t even think about using autoplay on videos!

So the result is that the DIY websites don’t tell you what to put on that website or how to make that content great.

So you end up with a website that might look pretty, but it never really brings in any customers.

So the real problem with those free and DIY websites is: They don’t work!

All that time and effort wasted on a website that doesn’t work. That makes me very sad because I hate to see someone spend time and money on this terrific marketing tool and not have it bring them any business.

That’s why I created a course that will walk you through creating website content, step by step. Content that your website visitors will connect with and love. Content that will get them to do business with you.

I taught this course once before and the students who worked through all the material have seen it work. I use these same concepts when I’m creating a website. (Psst, some of this stuff works for flyers and newsletters, too).

Your massage practice deserves a great website! If you are ready to make it great, click on the link and sign up or read more details.

So there I was, staring off into the distance while the copy machine was cranking out 17 copies of class handouts when one of the recent grads working at the school asked me about blogging. Basically, he wanted to know

Why should I blog?

He has a brand new website and he wants people to see it when they search for massage in our little town. He explained that he understood the benefits of blogging: SEO, improved search ranking, fresh content, etc. What he didn’t understand is

What should I write about?

My advice to him:

Answer questions. Especially the questions that you know people want to ask and won’t because their either too embarrassed or afraid of what the answer might be. One question that we all get is “do I really have to fill out that intake form?” Another that question no one asks, but wants to, is “Are obese people harder to massage?” (If you found your way here because you googled that question, the answer is NO. Obese people are no more difficult to massage than anyone else.)

Keep people up to date on the latest research. You have access to this via industry websites and blogs, pass that along.

Talk about your specials and holiday offers. Talk about other things going on in your business, like road construction or new wallpaper. Oddly enough, people are interested in this stuff.

So he understood all of that, but his next comment is one I see all the time:

It’s already been written. Why would anyone read my post if there’s nothing new in it?

It’s true, someone has already written a blog post explaining what “undress to your level of comfort” means. You’re not going to blaze any trails in that subject matter. In fact, it’s unlikely that you are ever going to come up with something completely original, even if you think it is. Someone else has probably already beat you to the punch. And it doesn’t matter one tiny little bit.

Before I explain why, I’m going to give you the most basic of basic explanations of how Google/Bing/Yahoo (we’ll just call this Google to save time) work. Trust me, it won’t be too technical and it will make all of this make sense.

Google knows where you are

When you type a search into Google , Google knows where you are physically located. No, they don’t have some secret tracking hardware on your computer or phone, but they do know what computer network your are using. It’s like knowing your area code on your phone. 312 is Chicago. So Google knows that you are not only in Chicago, but you are downtown at a Starbucks next to the Art Institute.

Google wants to give you useful information so that you will continue to use Google and not another search engine. So knowing where you are at is a handy piece of information. If you type in “kosher bagel shop”, Google could show you any number of bagel shops in New York City, but that wouldn’t be useful to you. You’re hungry now and have a great parking space, so you want something within walking distance of the Art Institute. So, instead of showing you the listing for the top ranked bagel shop in Manhattan, Google will show you the top ranked bagel shops closest to where you are physically located.

Search results depend on where you are

For a brick and mortar business, like your massage therapy practice, this can work to your advantage. If you are working your website and blog posts so that you will rank well for your local market, when someone in your town googles “massage therapist”, you are going to be on the top of his search results, not a massage therapist across the country.

You are a smart blogger and can take advantage of this. If you are in Tacoma and another massage therapist in Boston write blog posts on the same subject, someone in Tacoma will see your post because Google knows you are closer to that person than the MT in Boston.

It doesn’t matter that you are writing about the same topic

Local people are more likely to see your posts. But only if you are writing them.

You don’t need to be original, you just need to be useful. Write about stuff that people are interested in so that when they find your blog post they decide to call and schedule an appointment.

I don’t want you plagiarizing someone else’s work. But if you read a blog post and get inspired to put your own spin on it, then write about that. Or explain it in a way that is important to your clients.

Did this help explain why you don’t need to come up with all original ideas? If not, let me know what questions you still have and I’ll do my best.

As many of you know, I do website design for massage therapists and other health care people. One thing I’ve noticed that concerns me is that many of you do not understand HIPAA and are collecting client information that could be exposed to hackers and the general public.

Online Intake Forms – not the best idea

Some of you have built a form in your website that serves as an online intake form. You’re collecting clients

Name

Address

Phone Numbers

Social Security Numbers

Medical History

other

the client fills that in, clicks submit, and you have all their information handy when they show up for their first appointment. Easy peasy, right?

Wrong!

You are collecting data that is considered Protected Health Information. And you’re doing it all wrong. And it’s going to cost you. Big.

HIPAA covers all Protected Health Information held or transmitted

If you are storing client PHI (Protected Health Information) on a computer, you must comply with HIPAA.

If you are collecting sensitive information that could be used by identity thieves, such as social security numbers, dates of birth and the like, you could be liable if that information is compromised.

What constitutes PHI?

the individual’s past, present or future physical or mental health or condition,

the provision of health care to the individual, or

the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to the individual,

and that identifies the individual or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe it can be used to identify the individual.13 Individually identifiable health information includes many common identifiers (e.g., name, address, birth date, Social Security Number).

You might want to tighten up your seat belts, kiddies, because Aunt Kelli is about to go on a big ole rant!

Why in blue blazes are your collecting someone’s protected health information online? Would you be willing to submit your information online using your form? Would you trust that information to just anyone? Are you willing to be liable should that information get into the wrong hands? Are you insured for that kind of event?

For all that’s holy, people, quit being so fucking cheap and trying to do this on your own!

There are companies that specialize in this sort of thing and they aren’t that damn expensive. They know what they are doing. They are paying for the extra encryption. They will provide safe, secure, HIPAA compliant data collection and storage.

If you don’t want to pay for that service, then put a pdf of your intake forms on the web and have your clients bring them in with them.

Use some common sense, people. Seriously. You’re professionals; start acting like it. Either pony up the money for a professional, secure service, or go old school with paper. Either way, protect your clients’ information like it was your own. They will love you for it!

The fines for violating HIPAA are substantial

$100 to $50,000 or more per violation, with a calendar yearly cap of $1,500,000. That’s $1.5 MILLION dollars. Hope you’ve got some savings.

Every month, it seems, we see a story in the news about how one service or another is compromised and user data is exposed. I’ve seen massage therapists get up in arms about those “evil corporations” who don’t care about their customers. Some of them are doing worse.

Some therapists won’t even provide a name when they want to get a freebie from Allissa or me, but they have no problems asking their new clients for sensitive data over the internet. That’s being hypocritical.

Protect your clients. Protect your practice.

Know what you are doing when using online intake forms. Either know and use the technology, pay a service for their knowledge and skills, or skip it and use paper.

Rant over. Thanks for indulging me. Now be safe on the internet and stay in practice for many years to come.

Kat provided some great marketing research on why people like or dislike the franchises. You can use that research to take advantage of where franchises fall short to increase your client roster and attract clients willing to pay your rates for your massage.

The folks who want the cheapest massage just once or on a very regular basis, and are satisfied with the quality of massages at the chain place? Those folks are going to be hard to win over. But there are folks out there who aren’t being served, and they’re looking for someone like you.

If you’re smart, and I know you are because I’ve met or chatted with so many of you in person or on the internet, you’ve started doing some research on your local massage chains. Look at the reviews. Look at what their customers were disappointed with. Create a list of how your massage experience will delight those disappointed customers. Their post will give you the how-to on figuring that out.

Addressing these issues on your website or blog can help you attract the right clients for your practice, instead of the clients who would just as soon desert you for the chain down the road.

The question I get most frequently from massage therapists and solo business owners is:

How do I get the right clients for my practice?

So let’s start where the Writing a Blue Streak blog post finished up.

How do I address these issues and beat the massage franchise?

Let’s look at some of the reviews online and some suggestions of how you could address them on your site.

There’s always a mix of good and mediocre therapists ….

Your site could say: “At <your business name>, you’ll always receive a great massage. Consistency, excellence, and sensitivity are our priority.”

the knot in my mid back got less attention than I thought I had asked for.

“Your knots and sore spots will get the attention they need.”

If you find someone who is actually good they will either be completely booked all the time or they will leave shortly after

“No more wondering who your next massage will be with, our massage therapists have been a part of our team for 12 years. When you find someone you like, you can be assured that they will be here for you for years to come.”

Address the complaints from the client’s point of view

Keep the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) in mind as you write the copy for your website.

Never bad mouth the competition

People have complaints about other massage therapists. Your job isn’t to engage in gossip. Your job is to make your massage sound irresistible.

You have greater control over your client’s experience than the big franchise does. You can use that in your marketing to assure the client that they will get the massage they want and they will get it every time they walk through your door.

What negative review can you make use of to beat the massage franchise?

Here we are at the end of another year. With 2013 quickly closing in on us, I’ve got some end of the year reading for you. Looking at all the online marketing experts’ sites and predictions, it looks like 2013 will be the year that

Nope, this is the year that all those blog posts, that well crafted copy on your website, and your ability and willingness to tell people about it will vault you past your competition.

What’s ahead here for 2013? Well, I’ll be focusing on helping you with your online marketing efforts, including blogging, content writing, and having a website that helps get you clients. I also have a couple of guest bloggers working on some posts that should help all of us with promotion and marketing. These are people that I follow around and try to pick up whatever scraps of knowledge I can.

I’ll also be pointing out excellent posts and bloggers you must read. People like Allissa Haines, of course, but there are others coming up and I’m really excited to see so many MTs blogging for the profession. It’s about time, eh?

Enough teasers, here’s some reading to get you ready for all the good stuff coming up in the next year. The future is around the corner – see you there!

If you use Facebook to market your business, you’ve probably seen the Insights data. Freelance Switch has a nice article about how to use that data.

Here’s a link to aContent Marketing Infographicdescribing some of the issues businesses are having with content marketing. It shows that many of the businesses are struggling with producing engaging content and enough content.

NEED MORE HELP?

Content marketing will dominate in 2013 (you can hold me to that prediction). If you’re trying to figure out how to get started, or you’re a little nervous about giving it a try, check out the free 10 Part Tutorial that Dawn Barclay and I put together on Business Blogging School, it’s called How to Knock Blogging Fears on The Head. Let’s make 2013 your most successful year yet!